‘We need all hands on deck including nuclear.’ – Dr. James Hansen

Notes: Retired NASA climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen wrote this blog about a recent trip to China. He was attending a workshop discussing what role nuclear power might play in addressing air pollution and climate change. This workshop was a response to the Symposium on a New Type of Major Power Relationship, held in China the previous year.

That 2014 symposium included trips to solar and windmill factories. However, Hansen was dismayed that nuclear power seemed to be taken off the table. He thinks it is implausible to phase out coal use in China and India without the help of nuclear power.

The workshop discussions focused on the renewable energy required to reach 100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for the 50 United States, a 2015 paper by Mark Z. Jacobson.

Dr. Hansen and other scientists attending this 2015 workshop concluded this about the Jacobson Roadmap:

After computing this, they remained skeptical that each of the 50 states would approve these installations, construct the new power lines crisscrossing the nation, or build the equivalent to 50 Hoover dams, one for each state. For years, Hansen has strongly believed nuclear energy must be part of the solution for climate change.

Unfortunately, Naomi Oreskes, a professor of the history of science at Harvard University, referred to “four climate scientists” bringing new form of climate denialism by supporting the expansion of nuclear power in a December 2015 Guardian essay. Oreskes didn’t name the 4 scientists in that writing. She linked to a media alert about James Hansen and three other climate scientists advocating that nuclear energy expansion is vital to avoid dangerous climate change.